[Info-vax] US Broadband

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <mdcjbg$r4f$1 at panix2.panix.com>,
	kludge at panix.com (Scott Dorsey) writes:
> Bill Gunshannon <billg999 at cs.uofs.edu> wrote:
>>
>>People here are  just not reading what I said.  It could be 100 yds down
>>the street and I couldn't have it.  There are no  free cable pairs in the
>>cable on the street and there is a (long) waiting list of people who want
>>them.
> 
> The telco is not putting the infrastructure to support them in, because it
> costs less for them not to put it in.

And you think the phone company is in business to serve customers rahter
than to make money?  Of course the reason they are not rebuilding the
infrastructure is all about money.  Just as a matter of interest, every
morning, on my way to work, I drive by the complex that would house all
the plant builders and maintainers for Verizon.  It is about a mile or
so from my house between me and the Interstate.  It's empty.  No vehicles.
No workers arriving.  Heck, this morning I noticed the gate isn't even
locked.

> 
> Your goal, as a customer, is to make it so that it costs them more money
> not to put it in.

What world do you live in?  Individuals do not have any power like that.

> 
> The PUC can be your friend or your enemy in this fight, depending on how
> you approach the PUC and what attitude you take toward them.

Do you honestly think that the PUC is not totally aware of a situation
like this that has been this way for more than a decade and affects
hundreds of people?  Do you really think they care.  The only action
I have ever seen the PAPUC take is to rubber stamp rate increases for
any Public Utility that asked for it.

> 
> But if you just throw your hands up and say "it's impossible," people aren't
> going to believe you, because they have seen plenty of circuits installed in
> similar situations.  If you say, "It's expensive and I can't afford it,"
> though, they would certainly be willing to believe that.

Oh, I am sure I could have one.  All I have to do is personaly pay for
the improvements in the cable plant.  Do you really think that is a
practical solution?  I am sure the same is true for the Cable Company.
They are willing to come out here, just not willing to pay for it when
they know the ROI isn't there.  But if the people here were wuilling
to cough up a quick half-mil I am sure they would gladly use it to bring
cable out here.  Did you look at what someone else posted about the cost
of getting a 1.5kb connection?  Even email would be painful with that.

People here are talking about what it would be like in an ideal world.
I am talking about what it IS in the real world.  I will use the data
service on my phone for things like Email, USENET and downloading
books to mine and my wife's Kindle.  I even know now I can get upgrades
to my XBox that way.  But the things I used to do, like running a web
server for demoing projects I worked on or downloading new versions of
Linux and BSD are just no longer going to be in the equation.  And even
if I was inclined to fight with the PUC and had the money to do it (this
is PA, money talks everyone else walks) I am old enough that it is
unlikely to accomplish anything in what is left of my lifetime.

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>